Topic: Found out my tapes suck

[pigiron]

Here's the setup:
Based solely on comments here and many other places about that "Von Schweikert sound", I decided to take the plunge... for some strange reason, because my present system isn't that bad... I thought.

Anyway... I need more "juice" for 'em, and found a guy on Audiogon that happened to live in my town selling an amp that looked liked it'd fill the bill. On the phone, I found out he was in the recording business, serious about his music, and he invited me over to demo the gear. He mentioned some of the music he listens to, so as an experiment and a treat, I thought I'd bring along a concert that I'd taped to give to him.

Here's the "wow":
I arrived at his home... there's got a large, custom designed (by someone with a "name"), dedicated, "music room"... high and arched ceiling... custom curved acoustic panels with grill cloth covers... $20k Wilson Watt/Puppy 7's... $5k Sony SCD-1 player... $2k ICs... you get the idea. We spun some silver CDs and a few SACDs for quite a spell... orgasmic sound.

Here's the "ouch":
I then told him I have a CD for him that I taped at this year's ACL Fest... argh!!!... sounded like the band was underwater... neither of us could listen for more than a few minutes. While there's a sizable degradation when listening to my tapes on my present system, it's still pleasurable... totally not the case here.

So, for those few of you that have listened to anything I've taped and you've got a true audiophile setup... all I can say is "sorry mon"... at least it was free 

[fozzy]

Sounds like a dithering issue, possibly.

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

Sounds about right to me.  Since I got my system to it's present level, I have really had to reevaluate my expectations.  Stuff I thought sounded great in the car coming home from the show doesn't always sound that good on the big system. 

Of course, a lot of commercial CDs that I thought sounded good sound flawed now too.

[jpschust]

some day i will have a set of those wilson watt puppy speakers.  man i love those

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

I never heard the Wilsons but I would love to.  I was picking up some parts from CJ and asked about their test room.  I was told they use Wilsons, and no I couldn't go in there ;-)

[udovdh]

Sounds like a dithering issue, possibly.

Isn't dithering a more subtle issue than the band being 'underwater'?

[fozzy]

Sounds like a dithering issue, possibly.

Isn't dithering a more subtle issue than the band being 'underwater'?

generally but I had some bad results w/ wavelab accidentialy using the standard method instead of UV22HR. 

[Mojowill]

a lesson here is to always demo what you like to listen to.

it's strange that it made a recording sound badly.  Perhaps that can be remedied by a few system adjustments??

[udovdh]

a lesson here is to always demo what you like to listen to.

it's strange that it made a recording sound badly.  Perhaps that can be remedied by a few system adjustments??

Hmm. Would be interesting to use a 'sucking recording' to improve teh acoustics of a high end system.

At least I would suggest that it requires a little understanding of what is sounding wrong and why before adjustments are contemplated.

[wboswell]

I'm thinking the more important question is - what were you running, mic configuration, and proximity to the pa?

[BobW]

Mmmm, Wilson's       

[drewloo]

Did you get those VR-3's on Audiogon?  Man, if you did I was eyeing those, too.  Bastage.    

Which show was is that you listened to at that guy's place?

[Nick's Picks]

willsons?
naaa....

its the JMlab Focal Grand Utopia B is what you want.  that is the "rock box" from heaven.
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1139544890

[Sterling]

I'm thinking the more important question is - what were you running, mic configuration, and proximity to the pa?

agreed

I do shutter to think how my recording's will sound after I "upgrade" my playback...

[pigiron]

I'm thinking the more important question is - what were you running, mic configuration, and proximity to the pa?

Sorry... I got lost again 

He was into Lyle Lovett... so it was the maiden voyage on the 722 with the km184's directly plugged in, running ORTF FOB at the '05 ACL Fest about 9' high.

But I don't think that's got a bunch to do with it... my tapes are somewhat consistent on my system... and not a whole lotta better/worse than other's... but his setup put them on a different galaxy.

It's damn hard to explain a sound... but the contrast between listening to the silver CDs and then going to my tape... well, they made my rig sound like a $10 mic on a minidisk... all of it stuck in my pocket I hear the same kinda thing on my playback, but this put it on a different order of magnitude.

Did you get those VR-3's on Audiogon?  Man, if you did I was eyeing those, too.  Bastage.

chuckle... it's the VR5's on Audiogon... being packed for shipment now... next time you see me, please buy me a beer 'cause I'm broke 

but... this is just an expensive experiment... if it don't work out they'll be up for sale for what I paid.

its the JMlab Focal Grand Utopia B is what you want.  that is the "rock box" from heaven.

ya know, I just may have heard these... local stereo store... no name on the door... by appointment only... and to be honest, these were the first speaker I'd heard that sounded better than what I've got... but I sure as hell didn't walk out with them after hearing the price

Of course, a lot of commercial CDs that I thought sounded good sound flawed now too.

bingo!